Nicaragua: Crack 20 kilometers in Nicaragua

Managua . The earthquake of magnitude 6.2 on the Richter scale, occurred on April 10 in northern Managua, opened a crack length of 20 kilometers , today confirmed the Government of Nicaragua .

The crack , classified as " fault line " by the Nicaraguan Institute of Territorial Studies ( INET ) , was caused by the quake , said the first lady and coordinator of the Communication and Citizenship Council , Rosario Murillo.

The quake, followed by two others of magnitudes 6.7 and 5.6 on Sunday , as a result left two people dead and thousands homeless.

In its 20 kilometers long, starting in the town of Nagarote , five kilometers from the coast, the crack was introduced below the lake and crossed the island Xolotlán Momotombito , according to the official report .

"In the same line of this fault , between Momotombo and San Francisco Libre volcano (north of Xolotlán ), a major fault, which travels through a river in northeast direction , may be the continuation of the main fault was detected " Murillo said.

Television footage showed the government opening land became several tens of centimeters wide at some points.

Scientists from at least seven countries , found in Nicaragua studying the phenomenon , discovered three other smaller faults near Apoyeque and Momotombo volcano , an area in which there have been thousands of aftershocks of the mainshock .

The land few inches around the volcano Apoyeque moved , although an imminent eruption was discarded , reiterated the government spokesman .

Government officials maintained the status of "national extreme red alert " since no possibility of a destructive earthquake near and below Managua , a city with 1.4 million inhabitants and is considered " highly vulnerable to occur is discarded " .

The National Police and the central government warned people to " criminals" who are calling to leave their homes to loot then they recommended not to obey directions parallel to those provided through the government media .

The National System for Prevention, Mitigation and Attention to Disasters ( SINAPRED ) is prepared from 10 April for a major disaster .

The government held up three field hospitals in Managua and Ciudad Sandino awaiting the wounded who can stop a disaster.

Hundreds of families were evacuated from fragile buildings and emergency vehicles of Managua were placed at strategic points in the city.

INETER reported that the shore of Lake Managua retreated in some areas close to the epicenters of the recent earthquakes. Residents from the area Xiloá-Apoyeque, located about 2 km east of Comarca el Marañonal (at km 17 on the Xiloá highway) observed that the beach retreated for 16 meters on a strech of 500 m length.

This regression corresponds to a drop in lake level by 40 cm, but could also be a result of uplift of this area by the same amount. The latter seems a more plausible explanation, given that it appears that the lake shore only regressed in this area.

Changes in air and water temperature were also reported felt by residents, INETER wrote.

If the regression of the lake is in fact caused by uplift, it could (but not necessarily must) have been caused by tectonic movements as a result of the recent earthquakes and/or an intrusion of magma at depth.

* Possible relationship between earthquakes and volcanoes

Experts are now trying to examine the possible relationship between the earthquakes and volcanoes as well as the observed fluctuations and other anomalies at Lake Managua. North of Momotombo, steep cracks in the field were found, in the area of the epicenter of the first earthquake INETER director Wilfried Strauch said in a TV interview.

* Country at red alert

While the country as a whole is at highest alert as the risk of new earthquakes is considered elevated, and people are advised to sleep outside, INETER (for now) does not think that an eruption of Momotombo and Apoyeque volcanoes could be imminent or be triggered in a near future.

As of 19 April, seismic activity has continued to show a gradual decrease as aftershocks from the 10 and 11 April quakes become less and less frequent.

(posted April 16, 9:40 pm) — Nicaraguan first lady and amateur volcanologist Rosario Murillo says scientists are investigating citizen claims that the water level of Lake Managua is dropping and the temperature is rising — a strange phenomenon that some are blaming on recent seismic activity.

Lakeside residents claim the water level of Lake Managua has dropped 16 meters and the coastline has withdrawn 500 meters from its previous mark. Temperatures are also notably on the rise, according to citizen reports.

In a Wednesday evening statement to her family-run media outlets, Murillo said the Nicaraguan Institute of Territorial Studies (INETER) reports that people have reported the strange water-drop/temperature-increase phenomenon in the lakeside neighborhood of El Marañonal and near KM 17 of Carretera a Xiloa, just north of the capital. There have also been reports of strange fluctuations in water levels at Puerto Salvador Allende.

A group of Nicaraguan and foreign geologists today confirmed that the lake’s water level is dropping and the temperature is rising. Murillo said scientists are trying to determine whether the changes are related to the recent series of earthquakes that have rocked the capital since April 10.

On Wednesday, Nicaragua shook with eight lesser tremors — the strongest of which was a 2.9 on the Richter scale. The quakes’ epicenters were in northern Managua, mostly near the Laguna de Apoyeque.